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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on July 10, 2024, said the encroachment of Chennai's coastal zone was in violation of the provisions of the Coastal Regulation Zone Notifications 2019 and the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
Authorities including the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, regional office, Chennai; Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management were directed to file their response before the NGT, southern zonal bench, Chennai, one week before the next date of hearing, September 11, 2024.
An application was registered suo motu on the basis of the news item titled The great beach robbery Chennai’s coastal zone marred by encroachment digging of borewells which appeared in Times of India on June 14, 2024.
The news report highlighted illegal construction and encroachment near the Arupadai Veedu Murugan Temple in Besant Nagar’s Kalakshetra colony, Chennai.
The article stated that the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) may be waiting for approval from the Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management Authority (TNSCZMA) to carry out beach redevelopment projects worth Rs 100 crore. In the meanwhile, encroachers are busy constructing pucca houses and drilling borewells into the sand of the area.
According to the news item, constant debris and garbage dumping at the beach near the temple have blocked a natural flood water channel. Furthermore, 30 pucca houses and four huts have encroached the beach. Foundations for even more houses have been laid and borewells have been dug. Two unauthorised roads leading to the temple from Thiruvanmiyur Kuppam have also been laid.
The news item highlighted that such unauthorised construction could disturb freshwater sources, allowing saltwater intrusion into aquifers and wells. It could also impact Olive Ridley turtle nesting sites. Soil erosion and floods can be another outcome as beaches act as natural buffers.
The western zone bench of the NGT in Pune directed all structures — including 29 bungalows constructed within the riverbank and blue floodline of the Indrayani river in Maharashtra — to be demolished. The municipal commissioner and city engineer, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) would be the controlling authority. The court directed that the order should be carried out within six months.
The court on July 1, 2024 also directed levying the amount of environmental damage compensation (EDC) — which has been calculated by the joint committee to be Rs 5 crore — from all those who have constructed illegal buildings. This activity should also be completed within a period of six months, the court said.
Waterbody encroachment in Bareilly
The matter of illegal encroachment of a waterbody by land mafia in Bilwa village of Bareilly district was taken up by the NGT on July 10, 2024.
The court directed impleading the following as respondents in the matter — Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board; Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Regional Office (CZ), Lucknow; district magistrate, Bareilly and real estate developer, Eldico. The respondents have been directed to file their responses at least one week before the next date of hearing on October 3, 2024.
An application was registered on the basis of a letter petition dated June 5, 2024, sent by Siyaram Mandal, a resident of Tibarinath temple in Bareilly. The complainant said a lake in the village had been encroached upon by land mafia, who are in the process of developing a colony there.
Along with the letter, the applicant enclosed reports by revenue authorities clearly mentioning that the area is a water body which has been recorded as a lake.